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EnvironmentPK.com ^ | 28/12/09 | Asim Shah

[asimshah]

While some would alarm all-around abating a theory, others would alarm it a accurate set of facts. Opinions alter vehemently. Let us accede all-around abating to be both a apriorism that the ambiance of the apple as we apperceive it is slowly, but actual absolutely accretion in all-embracing air and baptize temperature, and a affiance that if whatever is causing this trend is not disconnected or challenged activity on apple will dynamically be affected.

[Tax-chick]

I didn’t understand a word of that.

[NicknamedBob]

"I still don't believe that the (descriptive, informative) text of what I work with is accurate."

What I am reminded of more than anything else, is the sad eluctability of Asimov's so-called Three Laws of Robotics.

What we witness in both instances is an attempt to wrap words around ideas and concepts that have grown beyond them.

[Tax-chick]

I didn’t understand a word of that either.

And on that happy note, buenas noches, amigos todos.

[NicknamedBob]

"I didn’t understand a word of that either."

My simple supposition is that words are sometimes inadequate to describe certain ideas.

Take, as an example, the brilliant but simple concept of the Pythagorean Theorem.

It can be expressed in words;

(Familiarly), The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two legs.

(With better explanation), In any right triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares whose sides are the two legs (the two sides that meet at a right angle).

It can obviously be expressed as an algebraic equation.

a² + b² = c²

But it is most elegantly framed as a geometric expression:

Obviously, the concept can be grasped by any clever mind with a bit of explanation and a bit of drawing. Now consider how much more difficult it would be to explain the idea to someone over the phone.

And now try to imagine how you might describe it to someone who may have been blind from birth.

My point in all of this is that for complex ideas, words quickly run out of steam or carrying capacity for the concept. It is perhaps for this reason that many had high hopes for television as a nascent industry to help promulgate educational concepts. We know what happened to that.

So I draw a parallel to other, even more complex ideas. The attempt to describe these ideas as a logical construction depends on so much common ground being necessary between two parties, that either could well be the teacher and the other the student. One has to know it that well, to even discuss it.

But the comparison I made to Asimov's "Laws" of robotics was that it was futile for someone to try to put into words what words cannot convey ... for the reasons indicated above.

[sionnsar]

Got 4s?

My simple supposition is that words are sometimes inadequate to describe certain ideas.

My counter, in the instant circumstance, is that words are sometimes quite adequate. You just have to have enough of them, starting with those that lay the basic foundations and following with those that build on them. In this case my exchange with DC requires a lot of technical foundation in order for any of it to become comprehensible.

But... I still don't know what a "sideboy" is.

[sionnsar]

I am tired and need rest. Manana, Morgen, etc...

[NicknamedBob]

"But... I still don't know what a "sideboy" is."

A form of rendering honors to visiting officials. Side Honors (Middle of linked handbook)

"Enlisted women may be detailed to this duty, but they are still called side boys."

[Tax-chick]

[sionnsar]

Good morning.

Woke up with plenty of time to get into work for my 6 AM call into the meeting I declined to attend in person. Feeling much better today -- what a difference a good night's sleep makes. Just hope I can maintain it through the day.

Still cold there?

[Tax-chick]

32, according to the weather-beeber. Might be in the 40s later if it stays sunny.

We took down most of the Christmas decorations this morning. DP and Bill will have to dismantle the tree and remove the outside lights at some point. I don’t care how long they leave the outside lights up, since they’re not in the way indoors.

[sionnsar]

I might start taking the tree down today. Outdoor lights will have to wait for the weekend — though it’s tempting to turn them back on since it’s so dark still. A lot of other folks have left theirs on.

[Tax-chick]

Yes, a lot of people here still have their outdoor lights up, too.

I’d have left the tree longer, but I want to put the piano back where it belongs!

[sionnsar]

Our tradition is that the tree comes down (or at least the lights go off) on Epiphany. We now have LED window "candles" that LoM would like on through Epiphany -- I had not known about Epiphany candles (or chalking doorways).

[Tax-chick]

I’ve seen the information about chalking before, but not the candles. My mom had electric candles for the windows when I growing up.

Around here, having things on the windowsills doesn’t work out. The boys like to play dinosaurs or demolition derby there, and the cats sun themselves.

[sionnsar]

Ah. Lacking byos & catz, ours are safe.

[Tax-chick]

Put some up for us ... and I’ll leave the twinkly-lights in the shrubbery until Candlemas!

[sionnsar]

Okay.

Sigh. My meeting is on lunch break and my lunch is on the way -- to be eaten while I drop off this daylong meeting for a different teleconference.

[Dead Corpse]

Is there a successor?

Not that I am aware of. Not until we can come up with some kind of sub-space quantum networking. Maybe they could call it "aether-net". ;-)

[Tax-chick]

46, clouding up. Looks like I’m going to have to take a lot of kids with me if I go to Weight Watchers, unless I stick Elen with a couple of boys at home. At least it’s not freezing at the moment.

[sionnsar]

Meeting done. Exhausted. And with a bit of work to do.

Weather is similar here.